JP2005173836A - Information distribution system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively and efficiently distribute contents to a large number of information displays. <P>SOLUTION: This information distribution system 1 causes a variety of Web contents to be sent from a server through the Internet for display on information displays 4. The server includes a distribution requirement acquiring means (distribution request accepting part), by which information distribution requirements including the requirements for displaying the Web contents on the information displays 4 and selection of one or more of the information displays 4 are acquired from a client of information distribution, in relation to attribute information showing whether the client is an individual or for-profit business or public institution; an information distribution control part that distributes the Web contents to the information displays 4 in accordance with the distribution requirements acquired; and an information distribution fee calculating part that calculates information distribution fee to the client, based on the attribute information of the client. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system and method for displaying information such as advertisements on a number of information displays using the Internet.

  In recent years, with the development of communication infrastructure and the spread of information communication terminals represented by personal computers and mobile phones, the Internet has rapidly developed as an information transmission means (medium). By using the Internet, an information distributor can instantaneously distribute information such as advertisements to a large number of viewers at low cost.

As a mechanism for distributing information using the Internet, for example, a system that is referred to in the following patent document is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-204004 JP 2002-109386 A Special table 2002-543501 gazette JP 2003-29682 A JP 2003-149739 A

  The prior arts of these patent documents include a large number of information display terminals (electronic display board, receiving means equipped with a screen, display device, etc.) for contents requested by an information distribution company such as an advertisement through the Internet. Hereinafter, the information is collectively referred to as an “information display”. This makes it possible to distribute information with better cost performance than mass media such as television and radio.

  By the way, none of the above-described conventional techniques is still sufficient to efficiently distribute various information such as advertisements, personal information and public information at low cost. That is, it has poor feasibility from various viewpoints such as the cost of installing and managing the information display, the cost of displaying information on the information display (distribution fee), and the effective use of the information display.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and uses IT technology such as a computer system and information communication to create a new business model for efficiently distributing and displaying contents on a large number of information displays at low cost. Is realized. In addition, the present invention provides a common information communication platform for users and businesses by providing interactive information media and effectively utilizing them, and provides a media solution that embodies CRM (Customer Relationship Management). It is intended to be realized.

  According to a first principal aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information distribution system for displaying various contents on an information display device from a server through a network, wherein the server displays contents from the information distribution requester. A distribution condition acquisition means for acquiring information to be displayed on a device and information distribution conditions including selection of one or more information display devices in association with attribute information indicating whether the requester is an individual, a commercial enterprise, or a public institution And information distribution control means for distributing content to the information display according to the acquired distribution conditions, and information distribution charge calculation means for calculating an information distribution charge for charging the requester based on the attribute information of the information distribution requester An information distribution system characterized by comprising:

  According to such a configuration, the server receives from the information distribution requester information distribution conditions including the number of times of distribution of contents such as advertisements and public information, time zones, periods, and selection of information display devices to be displayed. In accordance with this distribution condition, the received content is displayed on an information display installed in advance outdoors or the like. Further, the information distribution fee is calculated by applying the attribute information of the requester to, for example, a predetermined charging table. In this way, unlike the case where the distribution fee is simply calculated based on the number of times the content is distributed or the number of information displays, the distribution fee is reduced if the requester is an individual, or the number of distributions is increased even with the same distribution fee. Flexible response such as is possible.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the server further includes unique information including identification information of the content and identification information of an information display on which the content is displayed, and is information attached to the content and displayed. Unique information management means for managing the content, unique information acquisition means for acquiring the unique information from the viewer who viewed the content displayed on the information display, and the audience rating or the number of views of the content based on the acquired unique information Viewing status totaling means for totaling the viewing status including at least one of the information display units. Here, the viewing status totaling unit includes a viewing status totaling unit that adds the viewing statuses of all the information displays selected by the information distribution requester, and the information distribution fee calculating unit has a predetermined viewing status. When the value is higher than the reference value, it is preferable to calculate by adding the information distribution fee to the requester. Furthermore, the information display device is installed by a contractor who has signed a predetermined contract with a business operator that manages and operates the server, and the server further includes the information display device that is aggregated by the viewing status aggregation means. It is preferable to include usage fee calculation means for calculating an information display unit usage fee to be paid to the contractor based on the result of each count.

  Previously, information to determine how much the delivered content was perceived by viewers was not provided, so information distribution requesters and distributors should evaluate the cost effectiveness of advertising and public relations activities. It was difficult. The present invention obtains identification information embedded in displayed content from a viewer who has viewed the content, thereby making it possible to obtain cost effectiveness of advertising / publicity activities and awareness of viewers of products and services related to the advertisement. It is possible to provide useful information for determining the

  In addition, since the viewing status is tabulated for each information display, for example, the information display installation area (residential area, office district, etc.) and type (outdoor tower type, indoor signboard type, etc.), and advertisement type It is possible to analyze the advertising effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in detail in consideration of the relationship with the attributes of the advertiser and the advertiser. Furthermore, the usage fee (royalty) of the information display device for the contractor who installs and manages the information display device can be calculated based on this viewing situation, and maintenance and improvement of the incentive of the contractor can be expected.

  In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the information display device receives WEB content downloaded from the server by performing wireless communication with the parent device connected to the server through the Internet. The information display is mounted on a mobile body that can move in the communication area of the master unit. Here, the server further includes movement information acquisition means for acquiring movement information including a distance or time that the moving body has moved while displaying the content, and the information distribution fee calculation means includes the requester's attribute information and It is preferable that the information distribution fee of the client is calculated based on the acquired movement information. The server further includes a determination unit that determines whether the moving body is moving, and the information distribution control unit determines whether the content is distributed based on the determination result, or the content to be distributed. It is more preferable to discriminate the type.

  According to such a configuration, the system operation / management business operator concludes a predetermined contract with a large number of contractors who install / manage information displays. Under this contract, the contractor is obliged to install and manage the master unit and information display unit, and the usage fee is paid when the content distributed from the server is displayed on the information display unit via the base unit. The right to be stipulated. The parent device only needs to have a function of connecting to the Internet to download and browse WEB contents and a communication function of transmitting the WEB contents to an information display device via a wireless LAN or the like. Existing personal computers and peripheral devices can be used as they are. Thereby, the initial expense which installs an information indicator can be held down, and installation of an information indicator can be promoted.

  In addition, when an information display is mounted on a mobile body such as a dedicated vehicle, it moves to an area suitable for the content to be distributed (displayed) (such as a downtown area or an office area) to distribute information, or concentrate at an event venue. Information can be distributed. Thereby, the effect of information distribution and cost effectiveness can be improved dramatically. When distributing information to such a movable information display, it is possible to determine whether content distribution is possible or to select the type of content, thereby enabling distribution control different from that for a fixed information display. Distribution charges can be calculated.

  In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the information display device is installed by a contractor who has signed a predetermined contract with a business operator that manages and operates the server, and the information distribution fee calculation means includes the information distribution request When the subscriber is the contractor, the information distribution fee is reduced and calculated.

  With such a configuration, for example, when a manager of a convenience store or a private store installs an information display, the store advertisement can be displayed for free or at a low price. Thereby, the incentive to install the information display can be given, and the installation of the information display can be promoted.

  In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the information display device is installed by a contractor who has signed a predetermined contract with an operator who manages and operates the server, and the server further pays the contractor. A fee calculating means for calculating the information display fee is provided.

  With such a configuration, the contractor who has installed the information display device can obtain a predetermined usage fee based on the number of times the content is displayed, the time, and the like. Thereby, the incentive to install the information display can be given, and the installation of the information display can be promoted. The usage fee can be calculated based on the viewing status of the displayed content and the viewing status of the information display, in addition to the number of times of display.

  In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the information indicator includes at least two kinds of a type mounted on a mobile body, a type installed outdoors, or a type installed indoors, and the information distribution fee The calculating means applies the information distribution fee by applying the type of the information display selected by the client to the display unit price management table in which the unit price for displaying the content on the information display is described for each type of the information display. Is to be calculated.

  With such a configuration, different types of information display devices can be selected according to the type of content to be distributed, the time zone, and the like, and the degree of freedom of information distribution is improved. In addition, since the information distribution fee is calculated for each type of information display, the client can select an optimal information distribution method by comparing and considering the budget and the advertising effect. Here, for example, a tower-type information display installed outdoors requires weather resistance and a mechanism for preventing the reflection of sunlight, and the display becomes larger, so the initial cost (display) is higher than that of an indoor tower-type display. The cost of the vessel itself and the installation cost) and the maintenance cost are high. In addition, the dedicated vehicle-mounted display is even more expensive. In consideration of these costs, it is preferable that the unit price for displaying contents is described in the display unit price management table based on the initial cost and maintenance cost for each type of information display.

  In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the server further includes an information display extracting means for extracting one or more information displays for distributing content based on information distribution conditions acquired from an information distribution requester. Prepared.

  With such a configuration, information display candidates can be presented to the requester based on conditions such as content type, requester attributes, regionality, and budget, and the requester refers to the extracted candidates. Information distribution method can be selected.

  In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the information display unit receives WEB content downloaded from the server by performing wireless communication with the base unit connected to the server through the Internet. The server further includes a connection contractor identification information storage means for storing identification information of a connection contractor who has concluded an Internet connection contract with an Internet service provider (ISP), and the viewer is provided within the wireless communication area of the parent device. And an authentication unit that obtains the identification information of the connection contractor from the viewer when the server is accessed using the information communication terminal, and performs connection authentication.

  With such a configuration, the peripheral area of the master unit and the information display unit can function as a hot spot for collecting information, and combined with an information distribution function such as an advertisement displaying a URL, an unprecedented on-demand It becomes possible to provide services. In addition, in the vicinity of this hot spot, the WEB site can be browsed using an information communication terminal, as well as calling of e-mails, use of Internet telephones, especially for IP telephones, call charges are free. It is possible to build an epoch-making communication infrastructure.

  According to a second main aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information distribution method for displaying various contents from a server through a network on an information display device, wherein the server receives the contents from an information distribution requester. The distribution condition for acquiring the condition to be displayed on the information display and the information distribution condition including the selection of one or more information displays in association with the attribute information of whether this client is an individual, a commercial enterprise or a public institution. An acquisition step; an information distribution control step in which the server distributes content to the information display device in accordance with the acquired distribution condition; and an information distribution fee that the server charges the requester based on attribute information of the information distribution requester An information distribution method comprising: an information distribution fee calculation step for calculating

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to obtain a method that can be suitably realized using the system according to the first main aspect described above.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information distribution system and method capable of efficiently distributing and displaying content on a large number of information displays at low cost.

  Other features and remarkable effects of the present invention will be understood more clearly by referring to the description of the best mode section for carrying out the present invention and the attached drawings.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following, we will focus on examples of delivering WEB content related to advertisements requested by businesses such as companies for a fee. Public organizations such as local governments, local residents' associations, chambers of commerce, and school boards An example of distributing WEB content related to public information requested by the public or personal information requested by individuals such as local residents will be supplemented as appropriate.

(Overall network structure)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a network structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information distribution system denoted by reference numeral 1 in this figure is provided in a WWW server of an information distribution provider 2 such as an advertisement distribution center or an advertisement distribution center entrusted by an advertisement agency. The distribution company 2 functions as an ISP (Internet Service Provider), and has concluded an Internet connection contract with an installation contractor and viewer of the information display 4 described later.

  A large number of master units 3 are connected to the information distribution system 1 via communication lines such as ADSL and optical cables, and desired web contents can be distributed to the master unit 3 through the Internet. Each parent device 3 is connected to an information display 4 via a wireless communication network such as a wireless local area network (LAN), an ultra wide band (UWB), or a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), and the information distribution is performed. It is possible to display WEB contents such as advertisements distributed from the system 1. The wireless communication area 5 of each parent device 3 is indicated by a broken line in the figure. In order to be able to distribute (display) different contents for each information display 4, it is preferable to install the information display 4 so that the wireless communication areas 5 of the adjacent information displays 4 do not overlap.

  In the present embodiment, as the information display 4, a tower type display 4a installed at a predetermined outdoor position, a signboard type display 4b installed outside or inside the store 6, and a display 7 for displaying information are mounted. The dedicated vehicle-mounted display 4c is illustrated. In addition, mobile communication terminals such as a car navigation 4d mounted on a general vehicle 8 traveling on the road in the wireless communication area 5 and a mobile phone 4e carried by a pedestrian 9 also have a function of receiving and browsing WEB content. If so, it can be included in the information display 4.

  The master unit 3 is a relay installed in the personal computer 3a owned by the contractor 10 (the manager of the store 6, the company 10a, an individual, etc.) that has signed a predetermined contract with the information distributor 2 or the event venue 11 It consists of a base station 3b and the like. The base unit 3 is always connected to the WWW server (information distribution system 1) via the Internet in a broadband environment, and functions as an information distribution dedicated device of the system 1.

  When the information distribution system 1 accepts the distribution of the advertisement content from the information distribution requester 12 who has accessed the application screen of the WEB portal site set up by the distribution company 2, the requester 12 or the affiliated content producer 13 Upload the produced advertisement (WEB content) on the WEB. This WEB content is distributed to the master unit 3 in accordance with the distribution conditions acquired from the client 12, and is displayed on a large number of information displays 4. The WEB content displayed on the information display 4 can be browsed by the user accessing the WWW server from a personal computer at home. It is preferable that more detailed information than the content displayed on the information display 4 can be browsed.

  The system 1 is connected to a payment system (not shown) of the financial institution 14 online / offline so that the information distribution fee charged to the client 12 and the usage fee paid to the contractor 10 can be settled.

(Configuration of information display)
Here, as the information display 4, a tower-type display 4a and a dedicated vehicle-mounted display 4c will be briefly described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the tower-type display 4a includes an iron pillar 15 erected on the upper part of a foundation (not shown) embedded in the ground such as on the road or in a parking lot, a display 16 installed on the upper end of the iron pillar 15, and The communication control device 17 and a receiving antenna 18 installed on the upper surface of the display 16 are configured. Moreover, in this embodiment, the WEB camera 19 which image | photographs the condition of a viewer and the periphery of the indicator 4a is provided. An image photographed by the camera 19 is transmitted to the server through the master unit 3, and a viewer's reaction or the like can be observed remotely. Such a tower-type display 4a is installed, for example, every 500 m to 5 km according to the size of the wireless communication area 5, the streets of people (vehicles) around the installation area, the attributes of the area, daytime or night population density, and the like. . If the communication area 5 expands due to functional improvements such as wireless LAN, the installation interval can be increased accordingly. The display 16 of the tower type display 4a is installed at a height of about 2.5 m to 3 m above the ground in consideration of the eyes of a pedestrian or a vehicle driver, and has a large size of about 70 to 100 inches, for example. Adopted. As the tower type display 4a, a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-345661 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-204004) previously proposed by the present inventor can be adopted.

  As shown in this figure, the WEB content displayed on the information display 4 displays the URL of the portal site of the information distributor 2 so that the viewer can access from the communication terminal, and the content ID described later Is also displayed. Further, this WEB content is set to a full screen display in which a window menu, a frame, and the like are not displayed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the dedicated vehicle-mounted display 4c captures and outputs the reception antenna 21 installed on the ceiling surface of the vehicle body 20 and the WEB content received by the antenna 21 that is stored in the loading platform. A control personal computer 22 for managing the output, an output amplifier 23 for controlling the output of sound, a generator 24, a display 7 and a speaker 26 in the opening 25 on the side of the vehicle body 20, and during daytime information distribution And a shade 27 that prevents sunlight from being reflected on the display 7. The shade 27 can be removed or stored in the vehicle when the vehicle is running, at night or in the shade. The control personal computer 22 stores the WEB content taken from the master unit 3b and displays it on the display 7 according to a predetermined distribution schedule, and instructs the output amplifier 23 to output audio. Although not shown, it is preferable that this type of display 4c is also provided with a WEB camera. In consideration of convenience at the event venue 11, a microphone and a CD / DVD recorder / player may be provided.

  This dedicated vehicle-mounted display 4c displays the WEB content received from the parent device 3b at the event venue 11 shown in FIG. 1 on the display 7, and also the wireless communication area (see FIG. 1) of the parent device 3a of the contractor 10. The web content can be displayed even when the vehicle is running or stopped within the broken line 5). In this case, an area where the dedicated vehicle travels is set in advance, and the WEB content is distributed from the server to all the master units 3 installed in the area. This makes it possible to deliver advertisements that are rich in change and attract the attention of viewers compared to the posters posted on the vehicles and the conventional advertising means painted on the vehicle body, and dramatically increase the advertising effect Will be able to. This type of display 4c is owned by the information distributor 2 or a manager of a dedicated vehicle that has partnered with the provider 2, and is rented to the information distributor 10 in time units. A vehicle rental fee is paid separately from the information distribution fee described later.

(Schematic configuration of information distribution system)
Next, a schematic configuration of the information distribution system 1 described above will be described with reference to FIG. This system 1 is composed of a conventionally known general-purpose server hardware and a software program installed in this server. Since the known configuration can be used as it is, the following is specific to the present invention. The description will be focused on the functional part.

  The information distribution system 1 is configured by connecting a data storage unit 35 and a program storage unit 36 to a bus 34 to which a communication device 33 such as a CPU 30, a RAM 31, an input / output device 32, and a modem is connected.

  The data storage unit 35 includes an information display unit management table 38, a content display unit price management table 39, a display unit installation contractor information storage unit 40, a requester information storage unit 41, and a content storage unit (unique information management means). 42, a distribution schedule storage unit 43, a distribution history storage unit 44, and a connection contractor identification information storage unit 45. These tables or storage units are configured as independent databases or mutually accessible relational databases.

  The information display management table 38 registers the information display 4 type (tower type, signboard type, etc.), installation location (address), and installation area attributes (business district, residential area, etc.) in association with the information display ID. To do.

  The content display unit price management table 39 stores distribution unit prices of commercial advertisements, public relations, personal information, etc. distributed for a fee in association with the type of the information display 4 and the attributes of the information distribution requester 12. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the basic charge 46 of information distribution based on the content category, the number of information displays 4 and the number of distributions per day, the requester attribute, the content type, and the type of the information display 4 In addition, a correction coefficient 47 based on the installation area is registered. As described above, since the distribution fee varies depending on the attribute of the requester 12, for example, even if the distribution conditions such as the number of times and the time zone of displaying the WEB content are the same, the distribution fee is different depending on whether the request is made by an individual or by a company. Can be different. In addition, when requested by a public institution, it is preferable to reduce or free the distribution fee. On the other hand, as a condition for providing such a preferential treatment for public institutions, subsidies for the installation of the information display 4 and cooperation of public institutions such as tax reduction of the usage fee to the contractor 10 described later are required. I can expect. Thereby, the spread of the information display 4 can be promoted. A specific distribution fee calculation method will be described later. Note that the basic fee setting method and the specific values and types of the correction coefficient 47 are not limited thereto.

  The display device installation contractor information storage unit 40 includes bibliographic items (address, name, contact information, electronic information) of the person 10 (hereinafter referred to as “contractor”) who has signed an installation contract for the information display device 4 with the information distribution company 2. E-mail address, etc.) and contract information (the number of each type of information display 4 (tower type or signboard) included in the installation contract, information display usage fee, etc.) are stored in association with the contractor ID. . This contractor 10 has also concluded an Internet connection contract for connecting to the information distribution provider 2 which is an ISP at the communication terminal (home PC, etc.) serving as the master unit 3, and the information distribution provider 2 A predetermined connection usage fee is paid. The contractor 10 bears the cost required to install the information display 4 (in the case of the tower type shown in FIG. 3, about 1 to 3 million yen). On the other hand, the contractor 10 is paid the information display usage fee according to the number of times the information display 4 is displayed, etc., so the cost required for installation can be easily recovered. Further, as will be described later, when the contractor 10 distributes information, the distribution fee of the information display 4 installed by the contractor 10 is free, so the store 6 including the convenience store has an advertising fee. Savings. Thereby, installation of the information indicator 4 can be promoted.

  The client information storage unit 41 stores client information such as bibliographic items, attribute information, and billing methods acquired from the client 12 in association with the customer ID when an application for information distribution is accepted.

  The content storage unit 42 stores the content related to the received distribution request in association with the customer ID and the content identification information. This content includes all types of content that can be transmitted over the network, such as video (video), still image, text, audio, music, etc., and was created in various formats such as MPEG4, AVI format, JPEG format, etc. Registered as a content file. In this embodiment, the identification information of the information display 4 that distributes (distributes) the content is also stored. The identification information of the information display 4 is also displayed on the information display 4 together with the content identification information. This content includes a case where the content is provided from the requester 12 and a content produced by the content producer 13.

  The distribution schedule storage unit 43 registers the distribution schedule of WEB content generated by the distribution schedule management unit 58 described later in association with the information display ID and content ID. This distribution schedule is set as shown in FIG. 5, for example.

  In this example, one day is divided into three time zones: morning, noon, early morning, and midnight. One hour is divided into 6 minutes x 10 units, and 1 unit (6 minutes) is divided into 23 frames (cells). And manage. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the coefficient of the information display installation area for calculating the information distribution fee is varied according to this time zone. As shown in FIG. 5D, one frame is set to 15 seconds for the categories B to D, and one frame is set to 5 seconds for the category A news / hourly report. The information of the category A is scheduled in advance so as to be distributed at a fixed time, and the content related to the request is assigned to other frames. Note that, as is well known, an interval of about 2 seconds (blank time) is required for switching between contents during actual distribution, so the distribution time for each content is 14 seconds.

  The distribution history storage unit 44 stores the history of content distribution in association with the content ID. Based on this distribution history, an information distribution fee calculation unit 54, which will be described later, calculates an information distribution fee for the client 12 and charges it at a predetermined time such as the end of the month.

  The connection contractor identification information storage unit 45 includes the address, name, e-mail address, billing method, and contract validity of the viewer 48 (connection contractor) who has concluded an Internet connection contract with the information distribution provider 2 which is an ISP. User information such as a time limit is stored in association with identification information including a login ID and a password.

  In addition to the main program, the program storage unit 36 includes a distribution request receiving unit 50 (distribution condition acquisition unit), an information distribution control unit 51, a viewer authentication unit 52 (unique information acquisition unit), and a viewing status totaling unit. 53, an information distribution fee calculation unit 54, and an information display usage fee calculation unit 55.

  The distribution request receiving unit 50 acquires the information distribution condition and the attribute of the information distribution requester 12 from the distribution requester 12 to accept the distribution application, and associates the acquired information with the ID of the requester 12 to store the content storage unit 42. To be stored.

  The information distribution control unit 51 creates / updates a distribution schedule according to the information distribution conditions related to the application, manages the timing of distributing contents according to the schedule, extracts the information display 4 to be distributed, and transmits a communication log ( Processing for content distribution such as registration of a distribution history is performed at any time. Therefore, the information distribution control unit 51 includes an information display extraction unit 57 that extracts the information display 4 and a distribution schedule management unit 58 that distributes content according to the distribution schedule. When receiving a request for selecting the information display 4 from the requester, the information display extraction unit 57 is based on the information distribution conditions such as the acquired information distribution budget, content type, and information display 4 type. It also has a function of extracting one or more information display 4 candidates.

  The distribution schedule management unit 58 updates the distribution schedule of the distribution schedule storage unit 43 as needed when content distribution is completed or when a new distribution request or distribution stop request is received. This distribution schedule sets a predetermined ratio for each type of WEB content, such as 10% for time reports and news, 50% for commercial advertisements, 20% for personal information, and 20% for non-profit information such as public information. You can also keep it. Such distribution schedule management can also be performed using conventionally known program organization software.

  In addition, since the dedicated vehicle-mounted display 4c (see FIG. 3) requires specific distribution control, the information distribution control unit 51 also includes a mobile distribution control unit 59. The mobile body distribution control unit 59 includes a movement information acquisition unit 60, a distribution availability determination unit 61, and a distribution content selection unit 62 that acquire movement information including the distance or time the dedicated vehicle has moved while displaying the WEB content. Yes. When the vehicle is moving, the distribution availability determination unit 61 determines not to distribute all WEB contents including moving images in order to ensure safety of road traffic. Alternatively, when “moving image page” and “still image page” or “text page” are included as attributes of the WEB content, it is determined that “conditional distribution is possible”. The distribution content selection unit 62 selects a still image or a text page from the WEB content when it is determined that distribution is possible under certain conditions.

  The movement information includes a report from the driver of the vehicle, vehicle position data using GPS (Global Positioning System), a mileage meter of the vehicle, travel data of a probe car traveling in the vicinity of a dedicated vehicle, and a driver's work schedule. Etc. can be acquired together. The mobile body distribution control unit 59 can also be provided in the control personal computer 22 that has all or part of the functions installed in the dedicated vehicle.

  In the viewer authentication unit 52, a viewer 48 (connection contractor) who viewed content such as an advertisement displayed on the information display device 4 accessed the portal site of the information distributor 2 using an information communication terminal. In this case, the identification information of the connection contractor is acquired from the viewer 48 to perform connection authentication. Since the viewer 48 can access the server through the parent device 3 in the wireless communication area of the parent device 3 (broken line 5 in FIG. 1), no communication fee is charged. As a result, the wireless communication area 5 of the base unit 3 can function as a hot spot for collecting information, and an unprecedented on-demand service is provided in combination with an information distribution function such as advertisement content displaying a URL. It becomes possible.

  When the viewing status totaling unit 53 acquires the content ID (unique information shown in FIG. 3) attached to the WEB content viewed on the information display 4 from the connection-authenticated viewer 48, the viewing status totaling unit 53 is based on the content ID. Thus, the viewing status such as the number of viewing times and the viewing rate of the content is aggregated. The content ID includes, for example, characters indicating the information display area (in the example of FIG. 3, “Sa” is Saitama Prefecture), the distribution requester ID (same as 12), and the content management number (same as 20).

  In the present embodiment, the ID of the information display 4 is acquired together with the content ID from the viewer 48, the information display 4 on which the advertisement content is displayed is specified, and the viewing situation is totaled for each information display 4. It is possible. Thereby, for example, the installation area (residence district, office district, etc.) and type (outdoor tower type, indoor signboard type, etc.) or distribution time zone of the information display 4, the content type, the attribute of the distribution requester 12, demand It becomes possible to analyze the advertising effectiveness and cost effectiveness in detail in consideration of the relevance with the demographics. That is, the viewing status totaling unit 53 counts the viewing statuses of all the information display devices 4 to which the content has been distributed, and then sums up the totaling results.

  The information distribution fee calculator 54 applies the acquired distribution condition to the content display unit price management table 39 to calculate the information distribution fee. Here, the requester attribute is determined in relation to the content category. For example, even if the client 12 is an individual, if the content category is “B: commercial advertisement”, the client attribute is classified as “3: SME”. When distributing information to the dedicated vehicle-mounted display 4c shown in FIG. 3, the information distribution fee calculation unit 54 calculates an information distribution fee based on the movement information.

  When a plurality of types of information displays 4 are selected from the requester 12, the basic fee 46 is determined by the total number of information displays 4 of all types. For example, when type 1a: tower type (outdoor) 20 places and 2a: signboard type (outdoor) 10 places are selected, the total number of display times is multiplied by the number of display times within the distribution period to the total 30 units. A basic fee is determined. On the other hand, in the correction coefficient 47, the distribution fee is calculated by multiplying the number of each coefficient by the coefficient.

  The information display usage fee calculation unit 55 calculates an information display usage fee to be paid to the contractor 10 who has installed the information display 4 based on the number of times content is distributed. The number of times this content is distributed does not include hourly reports / news (category A). In addition, volunteers / donations (same D) and public relations (same E) set a maximum number of times (for example, do not count more than 10 times a day) or fix a predetermined number (for example, donation The content is fixed 5 times / day and the publicity is fixed once / day), and the usage fee is set to be lower than that of commercial advertisements. Since it is easy for the contractor 10 to understand and cooperate with these non-profit information, the incentive is not reduced, and a fee can be set according to the content attribute.

  In this embodiment, the information display unit usage fee paid to the contractor 10 is calculated based on the viewing state of each information display unit 4 tabulated by the viewing state totaling unit 53. For example, a usage fee is calculated by setting an incentive amount when the audience rating exceeds a predetermined reference value, or by multiplying a coefficient corresponding to the audience rating. Thereby, maintenance and improvement of the incentive of the contractor 10 can be expected.

  The above-described components are actually called and executed on the RAM 31 by the CPU 30 of the server (computer system), so that the functions of the present invention are achieved in cooperation with the OS (operation system). .

(Example of calculating information distribution fee)
The information distribution fee calculation method by the information distribution fee calculation unit 54 will be described below assuming a specific example. Case 1 is a case where a restaurant (small and medium-sized company) opening a new store requests advertisement distribution for opening a store in the downtown area around the store. It is a case of requesting. The delivery condition code is described in the content display unit price management table 39 shown in FIG. In case 1, the rental fee for the dedicated vehicle is omitted.

<Distribution conditions for Case 1>
Content category: B: Commercial advertising Number of information display units: 16 units Daily delivery time: 5 hours Distribution schedule: Tower type 6 times an hour (every 10 minutes), exclusive vehicle stop Mold 20 times per hour (3 minute intervals)
Distribution period: 7 days Requester attribute: 3: SME Content type: 1a: Movie with music Information display type: 1a: 15 tower type (outdoor) 2a: Dedicated vehicle stop type 1 Information display installation area 1a: Downtown (evening / night)

<Information distribution fee for case 1>
Total number of display: (6 times / hour x 15 units + 20 times / hour x 1 unit) x 5 hours x 7 days = 3,850 times ((100 times x 30 yen + 900 times x 20 yen + 2850 times x 10 yen) x 5 × (1.5 + 0.2) × ((1.2 × 15 units + 1.0 × 1 unit) / 16 units) × 1.2≈600,000 yen

<Distribution conditions for Case 2>
Content category: C: Personal information Number of information display units: 20 units Daily distribution time: 7 hours Distribution schedule: 6 times per hour (every 10 minutes)
Delivery period: 4 weeks (8 days only on holidays)
Requester attribute ... 1: Individual Content type ... 2a: Still image with sound Information display type ... 1a: Tower type (outdoor) 20 units Information display installation area ... 2b: Residential area (holiday Noon)

<Information distribution fee for Case 2>
Total display times: 6 times / hour x 7 hours x 20 cars x 8 days = 6,720 times ((100 times x 15 yen + 900 times x 10 yen + 5720 times x 10 yen) x 1 x (1.2 + 0.2) × 1.2 × 1.1 ≒ 125,100 yen

(Processing flow)
Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7, the process of accepting the information distribution application and calculating the information distribution fee will be described together with detailed functions.

  First, the distribution request receiving unit 50 receives information about the distribution frequency of WEB contents (number of frames, number of display times per hour, etc.), information from the information distribution requester 12 who has accessed the application screen of the WEB site established on the Internet. Distribution conditions such as the number of display devices 4, distribution time zone (morning or nighttime), distribution area, distribution period, etc. are acquired (step S1). Here, when the extraction request for the information display 4 is also accepted (Yes in step S2), the information display extraction unit 57 is activated and one or more that match the distribution conditions from the information display management table 38. Candidates for the information display 4 are extracted (step S3). If the client 12 wishes to change the conditions (No in step S4, Yes in S5), the process returns to step S1 to prompt the user to input distribution conditions again. When it is desired to re-extract the information display 4 without changing the distribution conditions (No in step S4, No in S5), the information display extraction unit 57 extracts the candidates again.

  When the distribution conditions are met (No in step S2, Yes in step S4), when the request for content production is received from the requester 12 (Yes in step S6), the information distribution fee calculation unit 54 is the content producer. The expense entrusted to 13 is acquired and stored in the memory (step S7).

  Here, the information distribution fee calculation unit 54 determines whether the client 12 is the contractor 10 in which the information display 4 is installed based on the customer ID (step S8). If it is determined that it is the contractor 10 (Yes in step S8), one of the information display devices 4 installed by itself is subtracted from the number n of information display devices 4 included in the distribution condition acquired in step S1 ( Step S9).

  Next, the information distribution fee calculation unit 54 extracts a unit price (basic fee 46) from the content display unit price management table 39 based on the number of information displays 4, the category of content, and the number of display times per day (step 10). . The basic charge 46 is multiplied by the number of times of display and the various correction coefficients 47 described above to calculate an information distribution charge and present it to the client 12 (steps S11 and S12). At this time, if the content production cost is stored in step S7, it is also added.

  When the distribution request receiving unit 50 receives a distribution application from the client 12 who has confirmed the distribution fee (Yes in step S13), the information distribution control unit 51 is activated to execute a predetermined information distribution process (step S14). ). This information distribution process is well known in the art and will not be described in detail.

  On the other hand, if a condition change is accepted from the requester 12 (No in step S13, Yes in step S14), the process returns to step S1 to display a distribution condition input screen and prompt the condition change. If neither a distribution application nor a condition change application is received from the client 12 within a predetermined period (No in step S13, No in S14), the process ends as a distribution application cancellation.

(Modification)
In addition, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the summary of invention.

  For example, the distribution request reception unit 50 (distribution condition acquisition unit) acquires an urgency or distribution area for distributing WEB content from the information distribution requester 12 as an information distribution condition, and the distribution schedule management unit 58 includes: You may make it manage a delivery schedule by determining a priority for the schedule which delivers a web content to the information display 4, based on the acquired urgency or the characteristic of a delivery area.

  For example, when an urgent advertisement such as a winning campaign of a professional baseball team or a sale on a rainy day is to be distributed, the advertisement content is managed so as to be distributed preferentially by interrupting the existing distribution schedule. In this case, it is preferable to add an emergency fee separately to the information distribution fee. In addition, in the case where the distribution area that has received the selection from the information distribution requester 12 is the residence area of the requester 12 and the content to be distributed is personal information, etc., priority is given to content from advertisements or personal requesters other than the resident. Then, the WEB contents of this resident are managed to be distributed. As a result, it is possible to manage a detailed distribution schedule according to the attribute and distribution area of the WEB content.

  In addition, the information distribution fee calculation unit 54 may calculate by adding the information distribution fee to the requester 12 when the viewing situation totaled by the viewing situation totaling unit 53 is higher than a predetermined reference value. good. This makes it possible to charge according to the viewing situation. The correction coefficient based on the basic fee, attributes, etc. can be set low to make it easier to use, and the added amount according to the viewing situation can be made higher.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall image of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tower-type information display. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a dedicated vehicle-mounted information display. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the present system. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information distribution schedule. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the information distribution fee unit price table. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing steps for receiving an information distribution application and calculating a distribution fee.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information delivery system 2 ... Information delivery provider 3, 3a, 3b ... Master unit 4 ... Information display 4a ... Tower type display 4b ... Signboard type display 4c ... Dedicated vehicle mounting type display 4d ... Car navigation 4e ... Mobile Telephone 5 ... Wireless communication area 6 ... Store 7 ... Display 8 ... General vehicle 9 ... Pedestrian 10 ... Contractor 11 ... Event venue 12 ... Information distribution requester 13 ... Content producer 14 ... Financial institution 15 ... Iron pillar 16 ... Display 17 ... Communication control device 18 ... Receiving antenna 19 ... WEB camera 20 ... Vehicle body 21 ... Receiving antenna 22 ... Control PC 23 ... Output amplifier 24 ... Generator 25 ... Opening 26 ... Speaker 27 ... Shade 30 ... CPU
31 ... RAM
32 ... I / O device 33 ... Communication device 34 ... Bus 35 ... Data storage unit 36 ... Program storage unit 38 ... Information display unit management table 39 ... Content display unit price management table 40 ... Display unit installation contractor information storage unit 41 ... Requester Information storage unit 42 ... Content storage unit 43 ... Distribution schedule storage unit 44 ... Distribution history storage unit 45 ... Connection contractor identification information storage unit 46 ... Basic charge 48 ... Viewer 50 ... Distribution request reception unit 51 ... Information distribution control unit 52 ... viewer authentication unit 53 ... viewing status totaling unit 54 ... information distribution fee calculation unit 55 ... information display unit usage fee calculation unit 57 ... information display unit extraction unit 58 ... distribution schedule management unit 59 ... mobile body distribution control unit 60 ... movement Information acquisition unit 61 ... distribution availability determination unit 62 ... distribution content selection unit

Claims (13)

An information distribution system that distributes various contents from a server through a network and displays them on an information display.
The server
Whether the requester is an individual, a profit-making business operator, or a non-profit organization, the condition for displaying the content on the information display and the information distribution condition including selection of one or more information displays from the requester of the information distribution Distribution condition acquisition means for acquiring in association with attribute information of a public institution,
Information distribution control means for distributing content to the information display according to the acquired distribution conditions;
An information distribution system comprising: information distribution fee calculation means for calculating an information distribution fee charged to the requester based on the attribute information of the information distribution requester. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The server further includes:
Unique information management means for managing unique information including identification information of a content and identification information of an information display device on which the content is displayed, which is attached to the content and displayed;
Unique information acquisition means for acquiring unique information from a viewer who viewed the content displayed on the information display;
An information distribution system comprising: a viewing status totaling unit that counts a viewing status including at least one of a content viewing rate and a viewing count for each information display based on the acquired unique information. The system of claim 2, comprising:
The viewing status totaling unit includes a viewing status totaling unit that adds up the viewing statuses of all the information displays selected by the information distribution requester,
The information distribution system is characterized in that the information distribution fee calculation means adds and calculates an information distribution fee for the requester when the combined viewing situation is higher than a predetermined reference value. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The information display device receives WEB content downloaded from the server by performing wireless communication with the parent device connected to the server through the Internet.
This information display device is mounted on a mobile body that can move within the communication area of the parent device. The system according to claim 4, wherein
The server further includes movement information acquisition means for acquiring movement information including a distance or time that the moving body has moved while displaying the content,
The information distribution system is characterized in that the information distribution fee calculation means calculates the information distribution fee of the client based on the attribute information of the client and the acquired movement information. The system according to claim 4, wherein
The server further includes determination means for determining whether the moving body is moving,
The information distribution control unit is configured to determine whether to distribute the content based on the determination result, or to determine a type of content to be distributed. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The information display device is installed by a contractor who has signed a predetermined contract with a business operator that manages and operates a server.
The information distribution system is characterized in that the information distribution fee calculation means calculates a reduced information distribution fee when the information distribution requester is the contractor. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The information display device is installed by a contractor who has signed a predetermined contract with a business operator that manages and operates a server.
The server further comprises usage fee calculation means for calculating an information display usage fee to be paid to the contractor. The system of claim 2, comprising:
The information display device is installed by a contractor who has signed a predetermined contract with a business operator that manages and operates a server.
The server further includes usage fee calculation means for calculating an information display unit usage fee to be paid to the contractor based on a totaling result for each information display unit totaled by the viewing situation totaling unit. Information distribution system. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The information display includes at least two types of a type mounted on a mobile body, a type installed outdoors, or a type installed indoors,
The information distribution fee calculation means applies the type of information display selected by the client to the display unit price management table in which the unit price for displaying content on the information display is described for each type of information display. An information distribution system characterized by calculating an information distribution fee. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The server further comprises an information display extracting means for extracting one or more information displays for distributing contents based on the information distribution condition acquired from the information distribution requester. system. The system of claim 1, comprising:
The information display device receives WEB content downloaded from the server by performing wireless communication with the parent device connected to the server through the Internet,
The server further includes connection contractor identification information storage means for storing identification information of a connection contractor who has concluded an Internet connection contract with an Internet service provider (ISP);
Authentication means for acquiring connection identification information from the viewer and performing connection authentication when the viewer accesses the server using an information communication terminal within the wireless communication area of the master unit; An information distribution system characterized by comprising: An information distribution method for displaying various contents from a server through a network on an information display,
Whether the server is an individual or a for-profit company, according to a condition for displaying information on the information display from the requester of information distribution and an information distribution condition including selection of one or more information displays. A distribution condition acquisition step of acquiring in association with attribute information of a public institution,
An information delivery control step in which the server delivers content to the information display device according to the obtained delivery conditions;
An information distribution method comprising: an information distribution fee calculating step for calculating an information distribution fee for charging the client based on the attribute information of the information distribution requester.

Images